The Struggle
by Miss Peg
Summary: After arresting an associate of Maura's, Jane finds herself on the wrong end of an Internal Affairs investigation. Six months into her relationship with Maura, she is invited to an important event in Maura's social calendar, but meeting some of Maura's friends provokes a reaction neither of them expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note : Thank you to **_tkent_ **for the great prompt! It seems this idea took me further away from the original prompt than I could have imagined and I have about 9000 words for you. So, I've split it into three because, from my own experience as a reader, I know reading a lot on a computer screen in one go can be tiring. I'll put the rest up over the next couple of days. I am still working on my others, I just wanted to finally get this one finished as I've been dipping in and out of it for a little while!**

* * *

"Whatever you do, don't talk about work," Maura said as she descended the staircase. Jane opened her mouth to respond, but the ankle length dress hung loosely around Maura's heeled feet, and hugged her right on up to the bosom.

She couldn't breathe. She held out a hand to Maura and let out her breath. "You look…stunning."

"I was about to say the same," Maura said, her fingers rested on Jane's palm.

"This old thang," Jane laughed, her eyelids fluttered coyly.

She didn't dress up, as Maura knew all too well. She hated the formality of evening gowns, and underwear that pinched her skin. Not to mention the shoes that nipped her toes, and crushed them at the front.

She placed a chaste kiss against the corner of Maura's mouth. "I mean it. I'm gonna be the luckiest girl in the room tonight."

"Just, please," Maura repeated. "Don't talk about work."

"I'll try." Jane let go of Maura's hand as she reached the bottom step. "But it's not my fault Internal Affairs are fussing around. I did nothing wrong."

"You might have done nothing wrong, but the Sinclair Foundation Awards are a prestigious event for local causes. They do not look highly upon police corruption."

"I'm _not_ corrupt!"

" _I_ know that." Maura reached up to the shoulders of Jane's dress and fiddled with a fold in the material. Jane stood tall; being with Maura, attending her most important annual events, made her feel like it mattered so much more to make an effort. She trailed her fingers down Jane's arm, leaving a shiver travelling through her body. "It's not your fault what's happening at work. When powerful people are accused, it leads to them utilising their contacts to secure a release. We both know how it works. Tonight, I need you to not mention it."

"I won't." Jane grabbed her purse from the bench and slipped her cell phone into the pocket. "But wha'do I do if someone asks me about it?"

"Refrain from entertaining them."

"Which means?"

"Divert their attention to something else."

"Divert attention, gotcha," Jane said, hiking up the side of her own long skirted dress and heading for the door. She pulled her hand back from the handle, tucked her pursed hand around Maura's back and crashed their lips together. Maura responded, her mouth merged with Jane's. When she stepped back, Jane gasped for breath. "Since you said we can't do that, either, I thought I'd get it in now, while it's still okay."

Pursing her lips, a smile crept across Maura's face. She cupped Jane's cheek, brushing her thumb across her face. "Later tonight, I hope you'll join me in compensating for such a lack of intimacy."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "You mean I get laid?"

"You get laid."

Purring, Jane leaned in close. "Say that again."

"You get laid?"

"Yeah, it's sexy coming from you."

"Why?"

"Because you're so proper," Jane said, brushing her lips briefly against Maura's. "I'd rather you said you'll fu…"

"No swearing, Detective Rizzoli," Maura said, pressing a finger to her lips.

Jane grimaced. She loved saying it aloud, if only to remind herself that she was blessed. Six months in and she still couldn't quite grasp the words to explain just what it meant to share her life, and her bed, with the hottest doctor in town.

"Later," she whispered, kissing Maura's finger and tugging open the door.

x

Jane handed the server her empty glass and took a fresh one from his tray. She swallowed another mouthful. It was good champagne. But mostly, her nerves were affecting her ability to think clearly. She lingered by Maura's side. The room was full of men in penguin suits and women dressed to the nines in the latest couture and fancy jewellery that surpassed Jane's mortgage in value.

"Slow down," Maura whispered, passing behind her, her arm draped across her back as she moved to her other side.

Jane cleared her throat and remained in the same spot. "You might have been better asking Frankie, or Kent."

"Neither Frankie, nor Kent, are my girlfriend." Maura took the glass out of her hand before she could take another sip. Jane opened her mouth to complain, but Maura interjected. "Besides, you've been to functions before."

"Not like this. Not as your _girlfriend_."

"I don't have to introduce you as such," Maura said, placing the glass on a server's tray as they walked past. Jane moved to grab another one but Maura batted her hand away. She grimaced. "I'm perfectly happy to introduce you as my friend and work colleague, if you'd prefer."

"I don't prefer." Jane took a cursory glance around the crowd. She didn't know anybody. "It's just…it's different."

"I don't see how."

"I feel like people are staring."

"People _are_ staring," Maura said. "But not because of you. They're staring because the grapevine picked up the news about my relationship status. Given that there has always been an assumption that I am heterosexual, people are curious as to whether you are, in fact, my girlfriend."

"So, you've gotta introduce me that way," Jane said.

"No, I don't."

An older couple approached them. The man kissed Maura on the cheek, his hand trailed slowly across her back, followed by the woman. Jane searched the room for a fresh glass of champagne.

"Mr and Mrs Hopkins, this is Jane Rizzoli."

"Good evening, Ms Rizzoli," Mr Hopkins said. He held out a hand. Jane took it, taken aback when he planted a peck on her cheek.

"Jane is my," Maura began, her eyes trained on Jane's.

"Girlfriend," Jane said, ignoring the lack of comfort she felt at her admission.

Being with Maura was easy, when nobody was watching. In a room full of people, she didn't know how to feel. Especially when she knew none of them. Had they had the same conversation at a BPD function, she might have felt differently. Then again, she'd seen the way male cops treated female cops in relationships with other women. The less said about it the better, as far as she was concerned.

"The rumours were true," Mrs Hopkins said, raising her eyebrows at Jane.

Maura smiled politely. "Yes, I am in a relationship with Jane. We're very happy together."

"It's wonderful to see you smile, dear," Mrs Hopkins said.

"She smiles all the time, Marjorie."

"Not like that she doesn't."

"If you'll excuse us," Maura said, giving Marjorie's shoulder a squeeze. "I have a few people I'd like to introduce my girlfriend to."

"Dance with me later, won't you?" Mr Hopkins asked. Maura nodded, looped her arm through Jane's and they walked away.

"How do you feel?" Maura asked, stopping beside the bar.

"Like I'm gonna puke." Maura narrowed her eyes. "Maybe not that bad, but I don't think I'm cut out for this kind of place. Look at 'em all, Maur, they're stunning and I'm…me."

Maura leaned in close, her lips millimetres from Jane's ear. She rested her palm against her spine, sending a shock of electricity through Jane's body. "You are the most beautiful person in this room tonight, you could be wearing your sweats and I'd still want to fu…"

"Doctor Maura Isles!" a man said, his booming voice cut through her words. Jane turned and leaned on the bar, her knees weakened by Maura's presence and her words. She ignored them as he scooped Maura into his arms, watching through a small mirror on the other side of the bar. "You owe me five minutes of your time."

"Can it wait? My girlfriend and I were about to order drinks."

Jane turned and waved, her shoulders hunched. She stepped as close to Maura as she could get, partly hidden by her body.

"I'd heard you were bringing a…woman tonight," he said.

"Jane, this is Seran Ross, he's chair of the Boston Art Foundation board and a dear friend."

"You're the lucky lady." He smirked, his eyes lingered a moment too long on Jane's chest. She glanced down, then back up, catching him turn his attention away. "Maura, please, five minutes."

"Okay." She moved her hand along Jane's back. "I have something to discuss with Seran, keep yourself occupied for five minutes and then we can take our seats at the table."

"But," Jane began, but Maura had already stepped away.

The crowd swallowed them whole leaving Jane alone. She leaned back against the bar and searched for Maura, to no avail. She'd vanished. She twisted 'round and waited for a server to appear. When no one came, she slipped behind the bar and crouched down in search of something decent to drink.

"Martini. Dry," someone shouted over her head.

Jane stood up, a bottle of Scotch and Vodka in her arms. "Sorry, I'm not a server. I was just…looking for beer."

The man rolled his eyes. "Beer?"

"Yeah, you know, the hoppy stuff, tastes like crap if it's been stored wrong." Jane shrugged, placing two Scotch glasses on the bar top. "I got Scotch or Vodka. I guess I could try to make a Vodka Martini, but I hate vermouth, so I never make it right."

Without so much as a word, he disappeared off in the other direction. Jane rolled her eyes and poured herself a Scotch. She dropped a couple of ice cubes into the glass and took a sip. She spat it back into the glass. As revolting as ever. She crouched down in search of something to add to the Vodka.

"Are you here with Doctor Isles?"

Jane stood up at the sound of the man's voice. She forged a smile and held out her hand. "Yeah. I'm Jane."

He stared down at her fingers, coated in Scotch. She grabbed a napkin and wiped it off, but he seemed uninterested in shaking it.

"I'd like to speak with you," he said, walking away.

She stared at his back, unsure of what to do. She glanced around the room in search of Maura, in search of an answer to the questions she had running through her mind.

"Follow me," he said, loudly enough for her to hear.

Placing the bottles back behind the bar, Jane followed the man out into the hallway. She glanced back at the open doorway, desperate for Maura to return from wherever it was she'd gone and save her from whatever God-awful conversation she was about to have with the man standing in front of her.

"You're the detective, aren't you?" he asked, running a hand through his light brown hair and staring into her eyes.

Jane shrugged. "Yeah. That's me."

"People are saying you're her girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Wha'do ya mean why?"

"Why are you two together?" Narrowing her eyes, Jane opened her mouth but the words escaped her. "You make a considerable amount of money less than her each year, isn't that right?"

"I…guess."

"And you walk around in sweat pants like they're meant for anything other than the trash."

"How do you…"

He continued talking, ignoring her question. "Why are you together when you're such different people?"

"Opposites attract," Jane said, grinning. Her smile quickly faltered as he stared back at her. "I love her."

"Do you know Frederick Stephenson?"

A lump formed in the back of Jane's throat. She didn't know what to say. Maura had given her strict instruction not to discuss work. "Do you know Donald Duck?"

Folding his arms across his chest, he grunted. "Is that supposed to be some sort of joke?"

"Yeah." Jane cleared her throat, but it didn't much help strengthen her resolve. "Yes, I know Frederick Stephenson."

"Maura may be able to turn a blind eye to what her little Revere girlfriend does." He stepped closer, filling all space between them. Jane stood a little taller, her eyes fixed on his. "But her people know better. What works against one, works against all. We do not tolerate corrupt police personnel at our functions."

"You probably don't get police personnel at your functions," Jane said, rolling her eyes.

"I beg your pardon."

She scoffed. "I may be from Revere, but that don't make me stupid. So, I wasn't born on the right side of Boston, makes no difference to Maura."

"Well, it should." He edged closer, his tobacco scented breath lingered in the air, brushing against Jane's ear. "Frederick Stephenson is a good man; you'd do well to remember that."

Ignoring all advice to not talk about it, Jane turned to face him. "You think I pay any attention to threats?"

"I don't make threats, Detective."

"No, of course not."

"You and Doctor Isles are from different worlds. You do not belong here and you do not belong in Doctor Isles' bed."

"Too bad it's not your choice, ain't it?" Jane asked, smirking.

He stepped closer still, forcing Jane to step backward. Her back collided with the wall and for the first time since he'd invited her to talk, she felt fearful. His arms held her in place. "You'll never be good enough for her. Deep down she knows that and it's only a matter of time before she quits playing games and finds a man who understands her."

"You homophobic jerk," Jane shouted.

Placing his hand over Jane's mouth, she sunk back against the wall. Her heart raced, her eyes darted back and forth. Trapped against the wall, Jane slouched down as his fingers travelled up the side of her dress and his lips pressed against the corner of her mouth. She let out a moan, more shock than any sense of enjoyment. He laughed, the sound increased in volume against her ear. "We all know it, Detective Jane Rizzoli. Even if you wanna think it'll all work out, it won't. Save her the heartache. You and her are not meant to be."

x

The dress dropped around her ankles. Jane stepped out of it, unhooked her bra and panties and slipped on a BPD t-shirt and sweatpants. She felt better having changed, but a layer of grime still coated her skin where the man had kissed her, whether imagined or otherwise. She threw herself onto the couch, flicked on the television and cracked open a beer. She didn't even want to go to the stupid function in the first place. The Red Sox were playing the Yankees and there was nothing Jane hated more than missing that; except maybe rape, and murder; and hurting Maura.

She shut off the television and leaned back against the pillows. Her phone buzzed repeatedly on the table. Ignoring it wouldn't make the problem go away, but it made her feel a little saner.

She sipped her beer. The distant sound of her neighbours' music distracted her. Jane closed her eyes and listened to the melody. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought it was Maura listening to music in her office at work.

Rubbing fresh tears from her eyes, Jane cursed loudly, shouting out word after word until her throat ached. Why did she let him get into her head? After everything, her own self-doubt over whether she was good enough for Maura. It was like he knew which buttons to push and he held them down until she broke.

Maura was at the awards alone. She'd brought a date, she'd introduced her to people who meant something to her, and this was how Jane repaid her, by leaving? She knew, she understood the rules. You were supposed to turn up with somebody, even if that somebody was the cab driver.

A loud knock pulled Jane from a nap. She opened her eyes and squinted, attempting to readjust to the lamp light. The knock turned into a bang. She sped across the room to open the door.

"I'm sorry," she said, when Maura pushed past her and into the apartment.

"Have you been here the entire time?"

"Yeah." There was no point in lying now. "So?"

"So?" Maura's voice grew louder, her eyes bugged, glistening. Jane's heart ached. "You agreed to come with me to an important function in my social calendar, then before it even began you disappeared without a word, and I find you at your apartment. Why?"

"I wasn't feeling it," Jane said, shrugging.

"You weren't feeling it," Maura repeated. She narrowed her eyes. "You came with me. I gave you the opportunity to say no weeks ago. You got dressed up, which I know you dislike doing, and you came all that way. Then you left."

"Stop telling me what I did," Jane said. "I know what I did."

"Really? Would you care to explain it to me?"

"I came with you, then I left."

Maura stared at her, the tears on the surface of her eyeballs formed and skirted down the edge of her nose. "You embarrassed me in front of every single person I know."

"Not every person."

"I told you the pressure there is at these functions." She wiped her face. "You agreed to be my date. We agreed I would introduce you to people in my social circle."

"But I'm not in your social circle," Jane said, reaching for her half empty beer.

"That's why I needed to introduce you."

"So that they can turn their noses up at me and treat me like some underling?"

"Pardon?"

"I didn't embarrass you, Maura," Jane said, swallowing the last remnants of beer. "I left. If you felt embarrassed, that's on you."

"You clearly don't understand how these events work." Maura shook her head, her eyes wide. "The Sinclair Foundation Awards are an important part of my calendar. You know that."

Jane rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen for a fresh bottle of beer. "I also know that most of the people in that room tonight don't give a crap about you."

"Don't you dare try to tell me that they do not care," Maura shouted, gliding across the room like she was on a ballroom floor. "You are the person who left me, who abandoned me without even saying goodbye. I was worried sick. I missed half the awards being presented trying to track you down and I left early."

She cracked a bottle open on the edge of the counter and shrugged. "It's not a big deal."

" _It is to me_."

"We really are from different worlds, aren't we?" Jane asked, stepping back.

Maura frowned. "We're both from Earth."

"Not that," Jane scoffed. "Social circles, social _bullshit_. You and me, we're not from the same place."

She didn't dare look her in the eye, for fear of how much it would hurt to see her cry. Jane focused on the beer in her mouth. She swilled it around and swallowed.

"Just go home, Maura. I embarrassed you in front of your friends tonight and, you know what, I don't care. They're nasty people."

The break in Maura's voice crushed Jane's heart. She spun the bottle around on the counter, watching the label blur as Maura spoke. "Those people have done more for society than you could even begin to imagine."

"By throwing money around at fancy parties?" Swallowing another mouthful, she felt dutch courage take over. " _Per-lease_."

Gritting her teeth, Maura's voice came out harsher than previously. "Is that supposed to be a personal insult to me?"

"No, Maura." She wrapped her hands against the counter and finally looked her in the eye. It took everything to push the tears aside before they could fall. "You're not like them."

"I am exactly like them," Maura said.

"You're not."

Maura lowered her head, fresh tears slipped off the end of her nose. "I thought we could have a nice night out, the two of us. I wanted to show you off, and you ruined my evening. I am furious with you right now."

"Then go home, Maura, nobody's keeping you here. Go back to your stupid party and your nasty friends."

"Are you trying to ruin our relationship?"

"I think it's already ruined," Jane said, sitting back down and turning on the television.

"Jane, please," Maura begged, her voice broke again as she stepped closer.

"Close the door on your way out," Jane said, waving a hand and changing the channel.

"Fine." Maura turned tail and fled from the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note : Thank you everyone for your comments, follows and favourites. I wasn't expecting such a response from you all. I know there are elements of the whole thing that appear out of character for Jane, but one thing to remember is she's under additional pressure with the investigation against her. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story, anyway.**

* * *

She managed to go two days without seeing Maura. Two whole days of sitting alone at night in her apartment, wishing the world would swallow her whole because she'd messed up the one good thing in her life. Two days of wondering if she'd ever find happiness, not just a bit, but the full blown, madly in love happiness she'd had with Maura only three days earlier. She regretted every moment of that night, from walking out on Maura, to not reacting when that man touched her the way he did. She was supposed to be a detective, a badass who could twist someone's arm behind their back quicker than they could say 'rape'. Yet she'd frozen.

Even after two days, it was more a necessity that she visit Maura. She wanted to, God did she want to. She missed the scent of her perfume wafting behind her, and the curve of her hip against her skin as they had sex. She missed Maura's precision, and her choice of words that made Jane feel both proud and inferior at the same time.

"I didn't know a body came in," Jane said, standing in the doorway of the examination room. While Maura's back was turned, she scanned her body, committed to memory everything she could in case she'd never get to see her like that again. When she turned, Jane glanced away. "Korsak said you had information."

Maura walked around to the other side of the body as Jane approached, and continued her work. "Nothing pertinent at this time."

"But," Jane began, allowing her voice to drift off into the ether.

"Internal Affairs spoke with me."

"Oh."

"I told them the truth," she said.

"Which is?"

Standing upright, Maura caught her eye, sending Jane's head into a spin. She sighed and looked away, anything to stop the pain surging through her heart. "That you did nothing wrong. You followed procedure, as you always do, and if you're being accused of wrongdoing, it isn't because of your actions."

She let go of the breath she barely realised she'd been holding. "Thank you, Maura."

Another cursory glance in Maura's direction and Jane turned to walk away. "Wait, Jane."

"Yeah?" she asked, spinning around. Their eyes locked and tears filled her eyes. She cleared her throat and coughed in an attempt to disguise the feelings she couldn't contain.

"I…" Maura paused, the crease between her eyebrows deepened. "I wish you luck with their investigation."

"Th, thanks," Jane said, rushing out the door.

The elevator doors opened and closed around her, giving her a moments solitude. She let the tears drop and brushed them aside. She felt weak where usually she felt strong. By the time the doors opened again, she'd recomposed herself.

x

Another week passed with barely a word passed between them. Jane sat in her apartment, drinking her second beer of the night and watching a rerun of some half-baked sitcom. She wondered, if only briefly, what Maura was doing in that moment. She liked to believe she was sitting on her own couch pining over Jane, but in reality, she knew Maura had an active social life that didn't always take Jane into consideration. She had yoga class, and fencing, and her poncey dinners with rich people in penguin suits.

"Wha'do ya think, Jo?" she asked, patting the dogs head. "You think she's out there painting the town black and white without us?"

Jo yelped and covered her nose with her paws. Sometimes she wished she was a dog; she could sleep, and roll around like it was the greatest thing in earth. She wouldn't need to think about IA investigations, or whether she'd lost her ability to fight back.

Jane sighed. "Yeah. I feel that way too. Maybe we should order a pizza and forget all about her."

Another yelp and Jane felt her mood drop considerably. The week before Internal Affairs arrived she'd have ignored the words of that man, tried to forget everything he'd told her. But suddenly she couldn't shake it. The doubts she already had were increased tenfold by his insistence.

"We've never been like her," Jane said, stroking her hand across Jo Friday's back. "But that doesn't have to mean we shouldn't be together, does it?"

She lifted her furry head and stared at Jane.

"Yeah, maybe it does. At least when it comes to those places and those people." Jane sighed and lifted the dog onto her lap, rubbing her cheeks with the palms of her hands. "I guess it's just you and me for a while."

x

Jane woke with a start. She felt weak, her head ached and her mouth was dry. The hammering sound in her head grew louder until she realised it wasn't in her head at all. Slipping out from under the covers, Jane pulled a pair of sweats up around her hips and ran out to the living room to open the door.

"Ma," Jane said, rolling her eyes and turning back around.

"You didn't answer your phone," Angela said, following her into the apartment.

"So?" Jane shrugged and went to make herself a cup of coffee. "I was sleeping."

"It's one in the afternoon."

"I was up late."

"Not with Maura you weren't."

"Why do I have to be with Maura to be up late?" she asked, pulling two mugs down from the shelf and filled them with instant coffee.

"You haven't been around much," Angela said, pushing her out of the way. She emptied the instant coffee back into its jar and searched her cupboards. "Where's the fresh stuff?"

"Don't have any."

"Why not?"

"It takes too long."

"Not if you get it ground."

Jane refilled the mugs with instant coffee and emptied hot water into them. She gave them both a quick stir and pushed one across to her mother. "Drink it."

Narrowing her eyes, Angela sipped her drink, muttering almost incoherently. "An insult to the family name."

"If you've got something to say, Ma, just say it," Jane snapped placing her mug down so quickly coffee splashed on the counter. "This ain't about coffee."

"Yes, it is, Jane Clementine Rizzoli," she said. "We're Italian. Italians drink proper coffee."

"But that's not why you're here." Jane carried her mug to the sink and emptied it, washed it out and placed it on the side board. "Quit pretending you're here to tell me I'm a failed Italian and tell me what the hell you want."

"This isn't you," Angela said. "You don't kiss your mother with that mouth."

Rolling her eyes, Jane threw herself onto the couch. She was too tired, and too hungover to care much about her mother's opinion, especially when she was too busy fussing about coffee to give it.

"Something's not right, Janie, and I won't leave until you talk to me," she said, sitting on the arm of the couch. Jane curled herself up smaller, staring at the blank television screen a few feet away. "Maura won't talk to me, except to say it's none of my business."

"It isn't any of your business."

"I just want to see you two happy."

"We are happy," Jane said, though her voice betrayed her.

"Is this about that fancy pants awards you two went to weeks ago?"

Sitting up, Jane gritted her teeth. "Leave it."

"That's what Maura said, she doesn't know why, that's all she said."

"This doesn't concern you," Jane shouted, standing up and running into the bathroom. She turned on the shower, stripped off and stood under the hot stream of water. Only then, in the solitude of the shower, did she let fresh tears fall.

x

Detective Daniels from Internal Affairs stared at Jane, his steely blue eyes pierced through her resolve and left her shaken. She'd stood up to bigger bullies, fought greater enemies, and yet the relatively small man created in her a whirlwind of fear. It didn't help that she was already feeling somewhat inadequate. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel guilty, despite swearing to her own innocence.

"Did you or did you not accuse Frederick Stephenson of murder?" he asked.

"I've already been asked that," Jane said, leaning forward.

"Answer the question."

She clasped her hands together, rubbing her thumbs across the scars on the palms of her hands. They hadn't ached in such a long time.

"I did, but I accuse a lot of people of murder. That isn't a crime when you're a homicide detective." She smirked. What he asked made no sense. It didn't the first time, and her desire to be helpful was growing weaker.

"I don't think you realise the severity of this, Detective Rizzoli." He rested his elbow on the table and perched his chin against the top of his clasped fingers.

"Oh, I realise just fine, Detective Daniels," Jane said, slouching back in her seat. The relaxed attitude was her best defence. He was there to intimidate her, to encourage her to slip up through nervousness, or mistake. She wasn't willing to throw herself into the fire quite so easily. "What I don't understand is why you're involved."

"A complaint was filed."

"By Frederick Stephenson."

"No."

"No?" Taken aback, Jane cleared her throat.

"That information is classified."

She rolled her eyes. "You're IA, not the FBI."

Clearly shaken by his brief slip-up, Detective Daniels opened a case file, his resolve quickly resurfaced. "That information is not relevant. What is relevant is the evidence log clearly stating that you filed evidence not necessary for this case."

"What evidence? I thought this was about accusing him or murder."

"You arrested him."

She wracked her brain. The night in question, it had rained heavily and her suit had been soaked. She remembered guiding Frederick Stephenson through to booking, an evidence bag in hand.

"New evidence has been brought to our attention."

"What evidence?"

"The evidence that was submitted into the log by you on the night Frederick Stephenson was arrested," he said.

"You mean the ecstasy?" Jane shrugged. "Why is that relevant?"

Detective Daniels pushed a picture of the evidence across the table. "Can you prove said evidence was Frederick Stephenson's?"

"Prove it?" Jane narrowed her eyes. Never before had she been asked to prove evidence in such a way. "I have a witness that saw me take the bag from Frederick Stephenson when we frisked him. Nobody ever questions when I find drugs on a drug dealer, but you ask question when I find them on a rich white guy?"

"Who is your witness?"

"Detective Frank Rizzoli."

He stared at her for a moment, then made a brief note on his notepaper. He looked up. "Anyone who isn't related to you?"

"Frederick Stephenson, but I don't suppose he'll tell you the truth." Jane cleared her throat and sat up a little taller. "My personal relationship with Frank Rizzoli is of no significance to the professional relationship I have with him."

"Our complainant begs to differ."

"This is because my brother and I work on the same team?"

"No." Detective Daniels replaced the photo with another one.

"What is that?" Jane asked, picking it up and looking closer.

"It's CCTV evidence of you and Frank Rizzoli having a close conversation moments before Frederick Stephenson was arrested. Were you discussing who was going to plant the drugs?"

"Plant the…" Jane scoffed. "Neither of us planted the drugs. They were already there."

"You arrested Frederick Stephenson on a charge of drug possession, if you thought he was guilty of murder, why didn't you lay those charges instead?"

"Firstly, if you have CCTV footage of that conversation then surely you have CCTV footage of the arrest?"

"You moved out of the camera during the arrest," he said, leaning forward. "But then you already knew that, didn't you?"

"No!" Jane stared down at the photograph. It proved nothing, and they both knew that. "Sometimes the evidence isn't strong enough. Frederick Stephenson refused to speak with us the first two times we confronted him."

"So, you decided to plant the drugs as a ruse to get him into the interview room?"

"I arrested him because he had broken the law. I got lucky, that is all."

"Or maybe you knew he was innocent of all charges and you were using false evidence to secure an arrest."

"That's not true. Just talk to Frankie, he was there, he can corroborate."

"That's the thing, Detective Rizzoli, I don't trust that what either you, or your brother, are saying is true." Searching through the case file he took out another photograph and held it away from her. He lifted his gaze, those steely blue eyes forced their way deep into her soul. Jane shivered. "Maybe corruption runs in the family."

"Frankie is a good person," Jane shouted, banging her palm on the table in front of her. "Do not bring him into this."

"What about Thomas?" Detective Daniels asked.

"Thomas who?"

"Thomas Rizzoli. He was sent to jail."

"For a DUI." Bringing Tommy into the investigation made little sense. Jane's eyebrows knitted together. "Tommy paid his debt to society, he's done everything right since getting out of jail."

"What was he under the influence of?"

"Pardon?"

"Thomas Rizzoli, what was he under the influence of when he was charged and sentenced?"

"He…he had alcohol and ecstasy in his system."

Detective Daniels raised an eyebrow, the slight smirk on his face. "The same drug found on Frederick Stephenson."

"That is purely coincidental."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What about this?" He placed another photo on top of the previous two.

"No!" Jane shouted, shaking her head. She leaned over the photo.

"That's your brother, Thomas, isn't it?"

"Yes, but," she paused, glancing up at him. "This isn't recent, it can't be."

"Taken last week. He was caught on camera buying drugs in South Bay."

Choking back tears, Jane clutched the photograph a little too tightly. It was bad enough that she was being brought in to an investigation that made little sense, without bringing her brothers into it. She made a mental note to string his neck as soon as she saw him. If he went back to jail, who would look after TJ? "If you have evidence of him buying drugs then why hasn't he been arrested him?"

"The detective on the case has bigger fish to fry." Detective Daniels sat back. "It just so happened that he had heard about the situation with Frederick Stephenson and thought it might be useful."

"I am not my brothers, Detective Daniels. I have almost twenty years of experience and not once have I done anything wrong."

"Nothing that we know about."

Breathing in slowly, Jane refocused her fractured mind. She found her clearest and most professional voice. "Detective Daniels, I have a personal connection with Frederick Stephenson, one I was not aware of a month ago when the investigation opened."

"What connection is that?"

"My g…" she paused. Outside of her immediate circle of friends, nobody in the police department knew, at least not openly, about her relationship with Maura. If she could call it that. They had barely spoken all month and she certainly didn't feel able to quantify their relationship anymore. "My ex…my, my girlfriend, has a lot of friends in Boston. At a function a few weeks ago I was, quite harshly, warned to stay away from her because I had arrested Frederick Stephenson."

"And?"

"The circles she moves in are not like mine, they don't involve brothers with DUIs. They're rich people, powerful people."

"What are you insinuating?"

"I'm not insinuating anything." Jane sighed. "I just don't want you to be under any illusion that what he is saying is gospel."

"Only the word of the Lord and his disciples is gospel."

"Right." Jane smiled. "The Lord and the laws of the land are all we can really trust. Frederick Stephenson didn't like being arrested. I made a fool of him in front of his peers. That's why he complained about what happened. The fact of the matter is he was in the same house as the murder victim at the time of her death. The evidence we gathered was insufficient, surfaces had been wiped and evidence had been disrupted. If Frederick Stephenson was the perpetrator, then we were struggling to find evidence to take the case to the DA. We got lucky that when we went to speak to him for the third time, he happened to be in possession of ecstasy. Any purchase of drugs by my youngest brother are purely coincidental."

Detective Daniels' frown grew deeper and deeper. He picked up the photographs and piled them back into the case file. "I've heard enough. We're done here for today. While I conduct the rest of my enquiries, you will be put on temporary leave."

"What?"

"You will be put on temporary leave." He stood up, gathering his things as he stepped away from the desk. "We will contact you when we have finished our investigation."

"No!" Jane shouted, standing beside him. "You can't do that."

"That's exactly what I can do, Detective Rizzoli. Please hand in your badge and gun and vacate the premises immediately, or I will be forced to call someone to remove you."

x

"You were suspended?"

Jane dropped her arm from the door frame and retreated into her apartment. Maura followed her across to the kitchen. She had nothing to say. She'd spent enough time beating herself up over every little thing she'd said in the interview with Detective Daniels, she wasn't ready for Maura's third degree.

"Don't," Maura said, tugging the bottle of Scotch out of Jane's hand. "That won't help."

Jane rolled her eyes. "It won't hurt either."

"Don't do this to yourself. This is your career on the line. Would you like me to call a lawyer for some advice?"

"It'll blow over."

"Will it?"

Folding her arms across her chest, Jane stared at Maura, forcing her to meet her gaze. "What are you doing here? We broke up."

"Did we?"

"Didn't we?" Jane asked, frowning. "What's the point?"

"As far as I'm concerned, we're going through a difficult period."

"Which is why you've barely spoken to me in weeks."

Maura sighed. "I've been trying to give you some space. I was hoping your mother coming to talk to you would help, but even that failed."

"You asked her to come?"

"I suggested she pay a visit."

"You are insufferable sometimes, Maura." Jane snatched the bottle out of her hand and cradled it as she sat on the couch.

"The more you attempt to divert my attention away from the point, the longer I'll be here for."

"There's nothing to say."

"Why did they suspend you?"

"Apparently, I planted drugs on Frederick Stephenson and used it as a ruse to question him about the murder."

Perching on the edge of the couch, Maura sighed. "That's ridiculous."

"Don't I know it." Jane unscrewed the cap of the bottle and took a swig.

"That won't help."

"I already told you," Jane said, swallowing a second mouthful.

"Would you like me to talk to Frederick? I don't know him all that well but I do know his sister, she's a friend."

"Your friends have done enough," Jane muttered, the bottle midway to her mouth.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

Maura reached over and removed the bottle from Jane's hand. She reached out, then gave up when Maura carried it away. She leaned back, sinking into the comfort of the couch cushions.

"I'll just get it when you're gone," Jane said.

"Then I'll take it with me."

She looked up as Maura carried the bottle of Scotch towards the door. If she'd had any energy left, she'd have fought her for it, but she was tired, and needed to wallow. She glared at her, her eyebrows tugged together.

"You'll have to speak with me eventually," Maura said, as she slipped out of the apartment.

"Go to hell," Jane snapped, knowing full well Maura wouldn't even hear her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note : Thank you so much to everyone who has read, commented, and favourite/followed this story. It was only a brief visit but I hope it's been enjoyable, all the same. It's now complete. Thank you all.**

* * *

They entered the function room, Jane in a simple black dress, and Angela in a turquoise blue wrap-around. Jane followed her mother through the bar area and across to the dance floor. The chatter of people around them made it feel more like South Station than the homicide unit. Jane groaned. "Are you serious?"

"What?" Angela asked, shrugging.

"I thought we were going to a restaurant with Frankie, why are we at some poncey event? Who are all these people?" She motioned around the room, as individuals dressed up to the nines congregated in small groups. They looked posher than their usual circle of people. They weren't family, and they certainly weren't police officers.

Gliding across the room, her plum dress floating around her, was Maura. Jane froze. Her throat grew dry. She tried to find the words to speak but her heart ached too much. She had barely spoken to her since she turned up to her apartment. Not seeing her made the pain that little bit easier, but there she was, as beautiful as ever. 

Angela took two glasses of wine from a server's tray and handed one to Jane. "Maura's having a party for her birthday, I thought you might like to attend."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Her birthday isn't for two months."

"Then it's just a party," Angela said, waving as she caught Maura's eye. Jane trailed behind, wanting nothing more to turn in the opposite direction. Angela and Maura embraced. "You look beautiful, doesn't she look beautiful?"

Taking a cursory glance over Maura's outfit, she nodded. "I'm gonna get some fresh air."

"You don't have to," Maura said.

But she didn't feel much like conversing with the one person she longed to be alone with. Six weeks was a long time to be without her, even more so when that involved two without her job. Boredom had struck on day four, and though she hated decorating, she'd almost finished repainting every room in the apartment. The only real breaks she took were when Frankie turned up with a six pack and let them watch the baseball.

She stood out in the yard feeling like an outsider. After everything that had happened, the last place she wanted to be was one of Maura's functions. A small crowd of smokers gathered on the far side of the yard. She contemplated joining them, if only to appear like she was actually there for the party and not some random woman in a dress. She hated the dress more than she hated the party. It clung to her body in all the wrong places and she'd seen at least two men give her the once over.

"You look cold," Maura said, stepping up behind her.

"I'm fine."

"Come inside." Maura wrapped a hand around her elbow, but Jane wasn't in the mood. She shrugged her off. "Please don't be like that. I'm not the one who seems to think we have to be apart."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Then more fool you."

She marched past her and hovered in the hallway, supping on her drink. People passed by, moving from the function room to the bar, or out into the courtyard. She watched them pass, tried to remember the names of the handful of people she recognised, then brushed off the desire when she realised she couldn't.

"Janie, you're making an embarrassment of yourself," Angela said, sidling up beside her.

"How do you figure that?" Jane asked, confused.

"People might see you here and wonder why you're not enjoying the party." 

"I'm enjoying it as much as I enjoy Church on my birthday."

"You loved Father Simpson's sermons."

"I _never_ loved Father Simpson's sermons, and definitely not on my birthday."

"That's beside the point," Angela said, taking her third glass of wine from her hand. "You've had enough of that. I'll ask the server to get you orange juice." 

"I don't want orange juice."

"You've been drinking a lot lately."

"I have two beers at night while I wind down. It could be worse."

"It could be better, too."

"Ma!"

"You better watch how you speak to me, Jane Clementine Rizzoli," Angela snapped. "You think what you say to me doesn't register? I hear it all and I'm sick of it. You need to grow up and start treating me like an adult, like your mother, not like something you walked in in the park."

Without another word, Angela turned tail and rushed back into the function room. Jane closed her eyes, counted to five then opened them again. She knew what she was doing, the words slipped out all too often and she hated them the second they reached her mother's ears, but by then it was too late.

" _Ma_!" Jane shouted, running after her.

At the door to the function room, she gave up. There were too many people in posh dresses and tuxedos. The crowd was larger than Jane expected, then again, Maura was a wonderful person and she'd certainly never been able to say no to her. She headed for the bar and got herself another drink.

x

Half an hour into her resistance, Jane was bored. She hated her own company, even more so when it was all she'd had for two weeks. She considered going into the function room, but doing so would go against everything she was fighting for. Then again, when she really thought about it, she didn't really know what she was fighting for.

She'd given up on Maura weeks ago. At least she tried to tell herself that. Deep down, she couldn't escape the pain at ending her relationship. She wondered when she'd reached that point. She wasn't the kind of person to step back and let someone walk all over her, and yet it had happened.

"Hey Janie!" Frankie called as he entered the hallway, with Korsak and Nina by his side. "Out here alone?"

"I'm waiting," she said, rolling her eyes. She bit her tongue to stop herself from commenting on the tuxedo he'd accumulated for the event. They were all dressed up, making her feeling somewhat more inadequate than she did before.

"What for?" Korsak asked, buttoning up his jacket.

She shrugged. "Something."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "Anything specific?"

"Not really." 

"You seen Maura?" Frankie asked, holding his arm out at a bend. Nina slipped an arm through it. "I wanted to show her my date."

"Don't make me sound like a possession," Nina said, glaring at him.

"Sorry," he said, bowing his head. "I just want to show you off, you're hands down the most beautiful lady in this place."

"Except Jane," Nina said. "You look amazing." 

"Thanks," Jane said, lowering her reddening cheeks. She really hated to be complimented when she wore a dress.

"That'd be a fair compliment," Frankie said. "Except Janie isn't a lady."

Nina stared at him. "Don't be so harsh."

Jane sighed and shook her head. "It's fine, I'm used to it."

"You look lovely, Jane," Korsak said, holding out a hand. "You coming?"

"Nah." She held up her empty orange juice glass. "I'm gonna go find some more alcohol."

"I'll join you," he said, holding out his arm.

She hesitated. Korsak made her grateful for all that she had, but in that moment, it only made her feel sadder. She cleared her throat, in an attempt to remove the lump that formed in the back of it.

"It's fine," Jane said, placing the glass on a nearby table. "I was gonna use the ladies room first."

"Ha!" Frankie scoffed. Nina smacked him on the arm. "It was a joke!"

"Do you kiss your mother with those jokes?"

"We'll see you in there," Korsak said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Jane stood in the hallway for a moment as they disappeared into the bar area. Then she turned around and headed for the restroom.

x

After another hour of standing in the hallway, Jane gave up. Her mother was nowhere to be found, she hadn't seen Maura since she spoke to her in the yard, and nobody else returned for a chat. She had better things to be doing with her time. Placing her empty beer glass on the bar, she headed for the exit.

"What did I tell you?" someone shouted.

The voice sent a chill down her spine. Jane spun around, a fire raged inside of her. He was the reason she didn't feel able to be with Maura anymore. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was right, and seeing him again only sought to make her feel even worse about it. Why wasn't she stronger? She would usually fight, yet all she felt like was jello. 

"You think I wanna be here?" she asked, staring at him. "Not everything is about Maura."

"You _shouldn't_ be here, regardless," he said, squaring up to her.

"I'll tell you what, Mr Big Shot, I'll do what the hell I like." A flash of memory, of his hand on her thigh and his breath on her face shook her down. She pushed it aside. She was better than that. Forcing a shred of confidence, she looked him in the eye. "You think I'm afraid of someone like you? You're a big sissy. I stand up for myself, you throw your weight around and pretend that who you are matters. I'll tell you something. It doesn't."

He moved closer, his faces inches from her own. "Maybe you didn't understand me clearly enough."

"I understood loud and clear, but you know what?" Jane sighed, her voice rising with every word. "I don't give a damn about what you have to say. I'm on the verge of losing _everything I have_ ; do you think I care about you?"

"You don't know who you're talking to." 

"Yes I do." Jane grinned and edged closer. She lowered her voice and narrowed her eyes. "You're a rich, white guy who thinks he can bully the world around him until he gets what he wants. I'm not like most people. Firstly, you hurt Maura."

"I'm _trying to protect_ Maura."

"No!" Raising her voice, she stared him square on. "You're trying to protect your rich, white guy friend who was butthurt that he was arrested. You don't give a crap about Maura, otherwise you wouldn't have asked me to stay away."

"You know what I said is the truth."

"Is it? Maura doesn't seem to care where I come from, and maybe I'm sick of caring where I come from. I could have gone to BCU. I could have had her life. I chose not to because I didn't want to be a jerk like you. Maura's the _best_ thing that ever happened to the Boston high life, and you know why? Because she's not a pompous ass. She cares about the people she's raising money for. If she gives to your cause, it's because she wants to, not out of some pathetic excuse for obligation."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said, lowering his gaze. He stepped from one foot to the other.

Laughing, Jane stood back. "I've seen the way you look at me, like I'm someone to be pitied. The only people who need pitying here are you and your rich friends. Maura doesn't belong in this entitled world. She's better than that. If she wants me then I'm lucky to be with her, but if she wants me it's because of me, not because of who I am."

"And if Jane wants to be with me," Maura said, from behind them. "It's because of who she is, not because of who you think she should be."

Jane's heart leapt. She twisted around, her eyes bugged. She didn't want her to be involved, but it was too late. " _Maura_."

"Is this why?" she asked. "Is this why you ended it?" 

Jane opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't form. "I…"

"You _shouldn't_ listen to them," Maura said, walking up beside her. "Some of them see position and money above all else."

"How could I not?" Jane asked, struggling to put power behind her words. "I thought he was right. I don't belong in this world."

Grasping her hand, Maura clutched it against her chest. "But you belong with me."

"I know," Jane said, heaving a sigh of relief. "I know that now. I thought he represented your world, but he doesn't. He represents the entitled jackasses who don't deserve you. But you? If you want me, then I'm the luckiest person in the world."

"I do want you, Jane. Who you are has always mattered to me, but not because of your status in society or how much money you may or may not have." Maura breathed in slowly, then let out her breath a tiny bit at a time. "It's because you're the most caring person I know, and I have learned so much just by being your friend. Don't push me away because of people like him. Because of people like Frederick Stephenson."

"Maura," the man said, but she just waved her hand.

"Get out, before I call someone to throw you out." Shoulders slouched, he headed for the exit. "And you can tell Frederick that I'm not happy with the way he's treated my girlfriend."

"Wait a second," Jane said, marching after him. He turned in time for Jane's fist to meet his face. Stumbling backwards, he grumbled a complaint and rushed from the building. Jane shook her hand as pain seared through her knuckle. "That's because I should have done it weeks ago. God Damnit."

"You okay?" Maura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Jane said, but the second Maura touched her hand, she winced. "No. Someone needs to figure out how to punch someone without getting hurt."

"I think it's punishment for using violence to solve problems," Maura said. The smirk betrayed her words, and Jane grinned back.

A couple entered the hallway from the other side, as the man disappeared from sight. Maura glanced at them and they went back through the doorway. She let go of Jane's hand and stepped closer.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm…scared, Maur," Jane said. Tears crept into her eyes, blurring her vision; a mixture of pain and glee. "My job means everything to me."

"I know." Maura brushed her hand across Jane's cheek, pushing her hair back from her face. "I'll see what I can do, I'll talk to his sister. If he knew who you were…"

"He'd be like that guy."

"Frederick is a powerful man, but like any powerful man, he has his weaknesses."

"Can I punch him too?"

"You know that would probably make things worse."

"I don't care anymore," Jane whispered, chewing on her bottom lip. She leaned forward, her nose brushed against Maura's. "I'm so sick of being on my own. I used to do it every day and now I can't even go a few weeks without you. When did I get so weak?"

"You're not weak," Maura said, capturing her lips. "Maybe you just love me as much as I love you."

"You know I do."

x

Jane stretched her arms high up above her head and let out a loud grunt. Her whole body ached, exhausted from use. She rolled over, colliding with Maura beside her. Gentle sounds of sleep escaped her mouth. Jane chewed her bottom lip and crawled over the top of her, pressing her lips to the side of Maura's face.

"Hey," she whispered, before kissing her again. "Wake up."

Moaning softly, Maura turned around, lifting her hips up to twist herself fully. Jane grabbed her hips and held them up, trailing kisses along Maura's stomach.

"Morning," she sighed, resting her fingers across Jane's bruised knuckles. Jane moved up her body, capturing her mouth. Maura slipped her tongue between Jane's lips, deepening the kiss. "This is a nice wake up. Your hand's healing nicely."

"Still aches a bit, but as you said, it's my own stupid fault."

"I did not say that."

"No," Jane said. "You said I should consider alternative solutions for situations of conflict because a physical altercation is more damaging to my assets than using my words."

"It's a good job he's from a world of men who daren't hit a woman," Maura said. Jane leaned over her, her fingers tucked under the edges of her hair, cupping her cheeks. She stared into her hazel eyes, fixated by the different colours in her pupils and the depth of her soul. Breathing heavily, Jane ground her hips against Maura's. Her mind became a tunnel, focused constantly on Maura's body as she wrapped her legs around Jane's back.

"Why did I ever let him get to me?" Jane asked, rolling her naked body against Maura's skin, nestling herself comfortably, as close to Maura as she could. She peppered kisses across her face. "I missed out on six weeks of this. I'm sorry I screwed up so badly."

"I'm sorry I didn't realise there was something going on. All that really matters is that we're together now," Maura said, trailing her fingers along Jane's cheek and kissing her. Jane pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss, her tongue moved back and forth, battling with Maura's. "And you get to come back to work today."

"Why did I say today?" Jane asked, groaning. She moved forward, slipping her hand down between their bodies, skin to skin, mouth to Maura's ear. She sighed. "Why didn't I say tomorrow?"

"Slow down," Maura said, nibbling on Jane's bottom lip. "We don't have long."

Jane placed her hands on either side of Maura's body and trailed kisses between her breasts and down her stomach. "Long enough."

"I need to shower."

"Not yet," Jane whispered, running her tongue across Maura's thigh. "Not until I show you how appreciative I am that you talked to Frederick Stephenson. If he'd admitted to having the drugs in the first place I'd have let him off, he only made it worse for himself. Stupid ass."

"Complete ass," Maura moaned, barely getting out her words. She clutched the bedsheets as she leaned back, her eyelids fluttered closed.

* * *

 _ **The End!**_


End file.
